These are the steps taken thusfar to have a third greenhouse (hoop house, polytunnel, etc.) on this property:
- Stake site for the final location and size with husband; argue a lot but eventually
get your wayconfirm that a 16’x32′ model is the best size for the space - Order greenhouse
- Order wood and buy hardware for the base frame, end walls, door, and raised beds from the local lumber yard
- Mow
- Till
- Erect base frame.
A rainy weekend got in the way of accomplishing the last three steps (clay soil should not be tilled wet or you will forever have concrete-hard earth clods). So we went foraging instead. (If you want to understand the process of erecting a greenhouse, I did a play-by-play of putting up my mom’s small one here.)
About two miles directly north of us, our friends purchased 10 acres of duneland. For whatever reason, the trees were never cleared on this or any adjacent property…there are some lovely old-growth monsters (poplar, cherry, white pine, oak) and quite a range of microenvironments (bog, creek, pine warren, dune) so it is a great place to see what one can see.
Small people love small frogs
Fiddleheads
But our search for the elusive morel was futile. These came from a friend’s search.
Glad you came to visit!
Got something to say? Email me at fastweedpuller at gmail dot com.
fast grow the weeds 
Now see, I would never pick those ostrich ferns for fiddleheads to eat. I choose the copper-covered fiddleheads. Am I wrong? Are you? Those taste webby and bitter to me.
And, do you find ramps there? I never did, but they’re my favorite foraging result here.
Webby and bitter, check. If you steam off the brown stuff and toss them with butter/garlic they ain’t too bad (which was what I did). It’s a lot of work for little payoff.
No ramps. They like it a little more damp than those dune-y locations. When I go stake out the old asparagus farm adjacent to our place there should be ramps AND asparagus. This week!
El, that’s what I often think about honey mushrooms. Sure, the stems are edible, but is it worth the work to hunt, clean, and cook them? The hunting is fun! I’m sure you enjoyed your ramble. How my kids would love a bit of forest to explore.
ooo and no bugs! (You got me thinking about that with your last comment!) I thought we’d be done for/bled dry but no.
As this is in your neck of the woods I think you should check it out. Not sure about the whole story but it is frightening. http://Www.naturalnews.com/035585_Michigan_farms_raids.html
I think those ferns are not ostrich ferns but interrupted ferns, not generally considered edible–I know Sam Thayer ( foragersharvest.com ) says not to eat them. Ostrich ferns have the brown papery husks, and a deep groove up the stem like a rib of celery.
Brett
Shudder! Mossy trees are so cool (yet creepy!) Great post!